Animal-trap.



J. B. KLINB.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED P121314, 1912. 1,054,56%, Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

(June/Mot & 15min P /Viiuezooao J. B. K'LINE.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1912. 1,054,564. Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fi fi- T n O O O I H! m 4 MN/ macaw I mm/55 I anozwtoz lBKlzne" J. B. KLINE.

I ANIMAL TRAP. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1912.

' Patented Feb. 25, 1913 a SHEETS-811E117. s.

a U IT E iil:

r rr JACOB B. KLINE, OF THUBMAIT, 10V! A.

anrivranrner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed February 24, 1912. SerialNo. 679,546.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAoon B. Kmnn, a citizenof the United 'States, residing at Thurman, in the county of Fremont, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AnimaL-Traps; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the'art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to animal traps.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of an animal trap in which the weight of the animal trips the doorscontrolling the entrance to the trap and which further includes an improved structure for setting and tripping the doors.

A further objectof the invention resides in the provision of an animal trap, which will be simple in construction, eflicient in use andwhich may be manufactured at a position, Fig. 2, a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with the entrance doors of the trap set, Fig. 3, side elevation of one end of the trap showing the detachable hood associated therewith, Fig, 4:, a longitudinal section'of what is shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 5, a side elevation of the central portion of the trap showing the tripping platforms set and the various connections between the platform and the trigger which controls the release of the entrance doors, Fig. 6, a de tail perspective view showing the manner of mounting the tripping platform, Fig. 7, a detail perspective view showing the manner of mounting the entrance. doors, Fig. 8, a section on the line 88 of Fig.- 1.

Referring to the drawings the trap is shown as comprising a trough like body portion which includes a bottom 10 and parallel side members 11 and 12. -These side members are connected together-centrally at their upper edges by a top portion 13 and are also connected together at correspond ing ends by brace bars 14. Pivoted between the side members 11 and12 at each end of Eachof these entrance doors 15 has its ide the top portion is an entrance (1002515.

edgest-urned inwardly ,to form fiaifie I6 and the inner ends of these-flanges are extended beyond the inner end of the door. Passing through the extension of these flanges and through the side members 11 and 12 is a pivot rod 17 the terminals of which are bent laterally upon the outer faces of the side members 11 and 12. By this construction a simple and efficient pivotal connection for the entrance doors 15 is had.

The trap is provided centrally of its bottom- 10 with oppositely disposed tripping 'platforms 18 the side edges of-each of which are turned at an angle to form flanges 19 and these flanges are extended and disposed in overlapping relation at the adjacent ends of said platforms. Passing through the overlapping extensions of the flanges 19 is a pivot rod 20. This rod also passes through the side members 11 and 12 and has its terminals bent laterally upon-the outer faces of said side members respectively. By this construction it will be apparent that there is provided an efiicient pivotal mounting for the platforms 18.

Mounted upon the outer face of the top portion 13 transversely of the latter is a U-shaped bracket 21 and pivoted centrally between this bracket and the top portion 13 is an S-shaped lever 22 which is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a spring 23 one end of which is secured to said lever while the other end thereof is suitably anchored to the top portion 13.

The movement of the lever 22 under the influence of the spring 23 is limited by means of a stop 22 carried by said lever and adapted to engage the bracket 21.

Pivotally connected to one.end of the lever 22 is a scar arm 24-which extends through a guide 25 mounted on the top portion 13 and has its other end disposed in position to engage a catch 26 carried by one of the entrance doors 15. connected to the other eiid of the lever 22 is a sear arm 27 which tion 13 and has its other end dispos in position to engage a'catch 29 carried the Pivotally also extends through a guide 28 mounted on the top, or-- p entrance door 15 opposite to the entrance door provided with the catch 26. Mounted upon the bracket 21 is another bracket 30 in which is'pivoted a trigger 31. One end of this trigger 31 is provided with a downwardly-extending point 32 which is adapted to pass through an opening 33 in the bracket 21 and engage a notch 34 in the 1 other link 39 is connected to the ear 37 "and passes through the top portion 13, the lower end of/this link 39 being suitably connected to the other tripping platform 18. a From the construction previously deg ib d it will be apparent that by elevat 1mg the free ends of the doors 15- and then rotating the lever 22 to the right, the free ends of the sear arms 24 and 27 will be brought into engagement with respective catches 26 and 29 On the doors 15 so as to hold the free ends of said doors elevated. When the catches are thus engaged with the respective sear arms the trigger 31 is opmated to force the point 32 through the opening 33 and into engagement with the notch 34 of the lever 22. Upon the lever 22 being then released to the influence of the spring 23 the friction between said lever and the point 32 of the triggerwill serve to hold said point in engagement-with the notch 34 and thus maintain the entrance doors 15 elevated at their free ends and allow unobstructed access to the interior 'of the trap by animals. It will be here noted that when the point 32 is moved -into engagement with the notch 34 the outer ends of the tripping platforms 18 will be dis posed elevated through the medium of the links 38 and 39. When the parts of the trap-are in this position it will be apparent that when an animal enters upon either of the platforms 18 the weight of the animal will serve to depress the free end of such platform. This movement of the platform will be imparted to the trigger 31 by either of the links 38 and 39 and raise the point 32 out of engagement with the notch fall to closed position under the influence of gravity. I

In order to increase the efficiency of the trap in capturing animals which burrow the hole in'the ground in which the animal lives and hasits side portions 40 and 41 disposed in overlapping relation to the side members 11 and 12 respectively and secured to the latter by suitable connections 43.

When the hood is so disposed it will be ap 7 5 parent that an animal emerging from the hole covered thereby Will be directed into the trap. I 1

It will be noted that there is secured on the inner faces of the side members 11 and 12 at each end thereof leaf springs 44. The lower ends of these springs-44 are free and serve to spring outwardly" when the entrance doors 15 ,are closed acrossthe top of said doors and thereby lock same in closed position so as to prevent the escape of a trapped animal.

What isclaimed is:

An animal trap comprising'a bottom and a parallel spaced side members, a top connecting the intermediate portion of said side members, a vertically swinging entrance door pivoted between the side members at each end of the top, catches carried by each of said doors on their outer faces, a lever piv- 9t) oted on the outer face of the top, sear arms having their inner ends pivotally connected to opposite ends of said lever respectively and their outer ends adapted to engage respectively the catches on the en-- trance doors to hold the free ends of the latter in elevated position, a spring constantly tending to move said lever so as to dispose the sear arms 1n release position, a

trigger pivotally supported upon said top and adapted to engage the lever to hold the latter against movement under the influence of said spring, a tripping platform pivoted between the side members inwardly of said entrance doors, and connections between llo, N...

said platform and the trigger whereby the weight of an animal upon said platform will disengage the trigger from the lever and release the latter to the influence of. saidspring and disengage the sear arms 

